Ursa Major
by DelanyStyle
Summary: 'The sun was high in the sky, and it seemed like forever stretched before her and her cub, but she knew better than that.'   MAJOR Spoilers for Fire in the Sky


She watched her son frolic in the small meadow they had found for the day. Ujurak was currently chasing a butterfly, seemingly swatting his tiny little paws at empty air. She knew she would cherish this moment, as this was to be one of the last with her beloved son. With a heavy sigh, she forced her massive brown-bear bulk to her paws, and called out Ujurak's name. With a small smile gracing his bear- features, he bounded to her side, leaving the poor butterfly to relax for a bit.

"Time to go back to the den, little bear," she cooed to him. Gently prodding his side to get him moving, she and Ujurak shoved off on their way back to their cosy den. The sun was high in the sky, and it seemed like forever stretched before her and her cub, but she knew better than that. Still, it didn't stop the endless questions flowing from her cubs' mouth like a river after a long storm. With a small harrumph of laughter to herself, she answered his senseless questions.

"Mother, what turns the sky blue?"

"Well you see—"

"Mother, why are clouds so far away?"

"That has to do with the—"

"Mother, what makes the grass green?"

"Actually, it's very interesting it—"

"Mother, what's _that_?"

She had been to absorbed in the ground below her feet, that she didn't recognize what seemed to be a plank of wood, resting on a metal tube. Ujurak had stopped a few pawlengths before it, gazing up and the plank of wood.

"Oh, it's a twoleg thing," she went up to it and put and studied the plank of wood more closely," It's called a sign."

"It's weird!" Ujurak bounded up and licked the metal tube," Blech! It tastes like twoleg and rotfood!"

She didn't hear this remark; she was too busy reading the twoleg sign. Yes, she could read twoleg. She was extremely wise. After a few heartbeats, she figured out what it said. She frowned at the sign.

"What does it say?" Ujurak came up to her side, squinting at the plank of wood, obviously trying to read the sign too, without much luck.

"It says 'Open Season begins today'," she read off fluently.

"What's Open See-son?" Ujurak stuttered, struggling to get the right pronunciation.

"Open _Sea_son," she began, correcting Ujurak's early mistake," Is when twolegs come into the forest and hunt with their deathsticks."

"Do they hunt bears?" Ujurak asked, looking up at her with huge, frightened eyes.

"They do. But we're careful, so we won't be hurt by and twolegs," she answered wisely. Of course, she knew she was lying to herself, but there was no way she could let Ujurak know that. The time to tell him wasn't here. Not so soon. _But then_, she thought, _when _will_ be the right time?_ Jerking herself from her concerned thoughts, she nudged Ujurak's side again, signalling it was time to keep going.

The sun was ducking below the horizon before they were even close to their den. She wanted to prolong any time she had left with her shape-shifting son as much as she possibly could. From the looks of the blood-red sky, she could tell that that time window was beginning to draw to a close. Thought from earlier plagued her knowledgeable mind. Was now the time? She could sense the twolegs' approaching closer and closer, already. She turned to the small bear cub that was her son. He was a few bearlengths ahead of her, chasing another poor, defenceless butterfly. Making up her mind, she called back her son.

The moment Ujurak reached her side, she began to speak," Son, if we never make it back to our den tonight, I want you to turn into a twoleg, okay?"

"Mother, what—"

"Change into a twoleg and let them take you. Do you understand me Ujurak?" The cub nodded.

"When they're not looking, I want you to run away. Find the best den you possibly can, as far away from them as you can manage, but stay a twoleg. Once you find a den, you have to stay there. Don't move. Wait until you've found another bear,"

"Mother, tell me what's going on!" Ujurak squealed. Her eyes filled with pain, but now she could smell the twolegs that had been tracking them all day just behind their backs.

"Once you find that bear, go with him. Stay with him," she was beginning to rush down her instructions, shoving Ujurak unceremoniously on his hindquarters, "Don't ever leave his side. Find the others. You're going to have to save the wild." With a final shove, Ujurak began sprinting a few bearlengths, and came to an abrupt stop as two male twolegs blocked his escape. With a squeal, Ujurak turned and headed toward her, with the most painful look of fear she had even witnessed on his face. It twisted her hear to think she'd be leaving him. What kind of mother was she? Unfortunately, she could contemplate this no further as Ujurak nearly bounded into her.

With immense strength, she leaped over her son and landed pawlengths from the hunters' deathsticks. She stared them in the face for a few fractions of a heartbeat before the deathbullets intruded her pelt and tore into her insides. With the last lights dimming from her eyes, she glimpsed her son staring at her in horror. She mouthed the words,"Go," with all the strength she had left, what with her bleeding to death.

Ujurak didn't have to be told twice as his fur flattened into his body and skin became more prominent on his features. He dived into a bush before the last of the changes could take place, and with that, Ursa Major closed her eyes, letting her spirit leave her body and join the stars where she should be.

The Bear Watcher.

She would have her eyes on her son in her own special way, as a star.


End file.
